Transcript The Civil War The early years 1861-62

The Civil War
The Onset of War 1861-62
Call to Arms
• Americans had to decide which
side to fight for. Many times pitting
Brother against Brother and
Father against son.
Call to Arms
• President Lincoln ask
for 75,000 volunteers to
put down the rebellion.
• Southern men are
asked to join and
defend the South.
False Hopes
• Both sides expect the war to only last a
few months.
• North and South believes one big victory
will force the other to surrender.
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First Battle of Bull Run
• On July 21, 1861 the first major battle
takes place. 35,000 Union 32,500
Southern
• Only about 30 miles south of
Washington D.C. the North and South
finally meet.
First Battle of Bull Run
• Spectators from Washington come
out to watch the battle with picnic
baskets and dressed in their best
clothing.
First Battle of Bull Run
• Both armies are inexperienced and
unprepared.
• Soldiers for north and south are
wearing blue uniforms causing mass
confusion during the battle.
First Battle of Bull Run
• Early in the battle the Union forces
push the Rebels back.
• The Rebels rally behind General
Thomas Jackson who earns the
nickname “Stonewall” during the
battle.
First Battle of Bull Run
• The Confederates rally and win the
battle forcing the Union soldiers into a
full retreat to Washington.
First Battle of Bull Run
OUTCOME
• Southern Victory
• Although casualties seemed horrifying at
the time. They were extremely small
compared to later battles.
• The North was shocked and realized this
would be a long war.
• The South gained optimism believing they
could win.
The Army of the Potomac
• The primary army of the Union
• Over 100,000 Soldiers
The Army of the Potomac
• The commander of the Union forces
was George B. McClellan, called
“Little Mac” by his men.
The Army of the Potomac
• Throughout 1861, McClellan’s goal
was to capture Richmond in what was
known as the “Peninsula Campaign”.
• McClellan’s constant fear to attack
and outstanding leadership of
Confederate commanders made the
campaign a failure.
Army of Northern Virginia
• Primary fighting force of the Confederacy
• Came under the command of Robert E.
Lee in early 1862.
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The Western Theater
• While the Union was suffering set
backs in the east, in the West they
were having success.
The Western Theater
• February 1862-Ulysses S. Grant led
Union armies to victories at Fort Henry
and Fort Donelson in Tennessee on the
Cumberland River, a tributary of the
Mississippi River.
Battle of Shiloh
• Grant now set his sites on the capturing
the Confederate railroad center of Corinth,
Mississippi.
• March of 1862 Grant began to move his
army towards Corinth.
Battle of Shiloh
• In early April 1862, Grant and his
army of 40,000 camped on the banks
of the Tennessee River north of
Corinth near a small church called
Shiloh.
Battle of Shiloh
• Confederate General Albert Sidney
Johnston decided to launch a surprise
attack on the Union camp.
Battle of Shiloh
• April 6-7, 1862
• Confederates 40,000, Union 51,000
Battle of Shiloh
• On the first day of battle the Union is
caught off guard and is forced to retreat to
the banks of the Tennessee River.
Battle of Shiloh
• The worst fighting occurs at the “Hornets’
Nest” where Iowa and Illinois soldiers hold
off the Rebels long enough for others to
retreat.
Battle of Shiloh
• General Johnston tried to rally his troops
at the Hornet’s Nest
• He gets shot in the leg and bled to death.
• He is the highest ranking commander
killed in battle on either side during the
war.
Battle of Shiloh
• On the night of April 6th, Union
reinforcements arrive on the Tennessee
River.
• Grant reorganizes and launches a
counterattack the next day.
Battle of Shiloh
• The Union wins the battle.
• The battle results in over
23,000 casualties, soldiers
killed or wounded.
• More casualties than all
other American conflicts
combined up until that point.
Battle of Shiloh
• Union forces are able to eventually
capture Corinth.
• The Confederacy lost an important
leader and a key transportation point
The Eastern Theatre
• After assuming command of the Army of
Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee leads the
Confederate army to victory after victory in
early 1862.
The Eastern Theater
• Meanwhile, General Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson, kept three
Union armies occupied with his small
Confederate army of only 17,000
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New Confederate Strategy
• With mid-term election approaching in
November of 1862, Robert E. Lee, riding a
string of victories, saw an opportunity to
win the war.
New Confederate Strategy
• Lee planned to invade the North for two
reasons:
– Northern farmers were about to harvest crops
which he could take to feed his army
– He felt one big victory in the North would
convince northerners to vote in new
representatives that would no longer support
the war.